This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Shell, in which I was compensated. The opinions and text are all mine. Our idea for the holiday theme is a good ol’ traditional family road trip. For us, road tripping and the holidays go hand-in-hand. We have always done Thanksgiving at my parents’ ...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Shell, in which I was compensated. The opinions and text are all mine.

Our idea for the holiday theme is a good ol’ traditional family road trip. For us, road tripping and the holidays go hand-in-hand. We have always done Thanksgiving at my parents’ house and Christmas with Chris’ family. That typically means loading up our car with treats, gifts, and goodies and then hitting the road. We have to cross Snoqualmie Pass during Christmas time and it’s usually covered in snow. We blare our favorite Christmas songs while the car smells of freshly baked cookies and peppermint hot chocolates.

We want our theme of Shell savings to continue. Our post will feature a few flashbacks to our favorite holiday road trips and also reflect on how our trips have changed since becoming a couple, and eventually welcoming a child. The Fuel Rewards Program allows us to reap benefits on something we’d already be doing: driving for the holidays.

Wait. How did this happen? How is the holiday season already upon us? I swear, it feels like just yesterday we were donning our swimsuits, sipping on mai tais, in the hot summer sun.

Winter has always been hard on me. The Pacific Northwest is a stunning place to live, but western Washington can also feel very cold, dark, and desolate in the winter. We tend to see way too much rain and not enough snow. And to me, rain=bleh and snow=festive. Both Chris and I suffer from seasonal depression if we stay in the cloudy and damp PNW for too long. Most years, we’ve been fortunate to have been able to escape to a tropical locale for a few weeks of the winter. Nothing a few pina coladas and vitamin D can’t fix.

There is a saving grace that’s doesn’t have us hopping on a place bound for sunnier shores: The Holidays.

I love Thanksgiving. Love it. Or at least the old school (read: ignorant) idea of it. Not so much the butchering of First Nations, bringing forth disease, taking over land that’s not ours- part. I enjoy the romance of family coming together from all over the country to spend time with each other and enjoy a delicious meal. And let’s be honest, the meal is really why I’m here. I rarely eat turkey and Thanksgiving food is some of my all-time favorite. In fact, my best friends know I love turkey so much that every year they throw a Friendsgiving party for my birthday. If that’s not love I don’t know what is.

Since we’ve been married, we tend to spend Thanksgiving with my side of the family (mostly because my dad makes the best mashed potatoes and my mom’s turkey is incredible) and Christmas with Chris’. This means multiple trips across the state. We probably log a couple thousand miles over the holidays. No, I’m not kidding. Yes, we kind of love it.

I’m not necessarily a huge fan of driving over the passes in the winter, but I love the road trip that we make to Quincy, Washington for Christmas. There, Chris’ mom’s side of the family convenes for days of baking, eating, laughing, and games. Our car smells of freshly baked cookies and piping cups of coffee. It’s typically packed to the gills with Christmas presents and baby paraphernalia and we blare our favorite Christmas tunes as we make our way over the snowy pass. I’m particularly excited for this Christmas because Holden will be more present and aware than the last. It also means there’s going to be a lot of toddler-proofing that needs to be done.

This year we have even more reason to celebrate our time on the road. Since becoming members of the Fuel Rewards Program we’re saving even more at the pump. And the more we spend, the more we save. It’s reassuring to know that even though we’re at the pump more often, we are saving more than we would if we filled up at any ol’ gas station.

Here’s what our holiday calendar currently looks like.

Drive from Spokane to Bremerton for Thanksgiving with Tawny’s family: 324 miles

Drive from Bremerton to Spokane: 324 miles

Drive from Spokane to Quincy for Christmas with Chris’ family: 138 miles

Drive from Quincy to Bremerton for holiday time with Tawny’s family: 204 miles

Drive from Bremerton to Salem to visit Chris’ dad: 217 miles

Drive from Salem to Spokane: 397 miles

Grand Total: 1,604 miles

I’m both excited and exhausted just reading that.

If you’re planning on hitting the road this holiday season, be sure to reap the benefits of the Fuel Rewards Program. And remember, sharing is caring. For every friend that signs up after your recommendation (with your unique referral link) and uses the program by earning a reward or using their card at a participating Shell station, you will instantly earn 25¢/gal (up to 20 gallons). There’s no limit to how many friends you invite or how many times you earn! We plan on stacking our Fuel Rewards to truly make the most of the program. I foresee a lot of savings in our future. That means more money for presents and gingerbread houses!

Remember that if you sign up for the Fuel Rewards Program before the end of the year (how is 2017 almost done?) you’ll automatically earn Instant Gold Status for six months. After that, you just need to average 2 fill ups a month to keep it. Fuel Rewards® program members that have Gold Status can save 5¢ off every gallon (up to 20 gallons/visit).

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Shell. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Captain and Clark are two passionate story tellers and explorers. They are driven by an internal fire to plunge into the deepest and most alluring corners and nooks of our globe and bring to light the stories that inspire all of us.